Category Archives: Press Releases

King’s Stand to Kyllachy’s Power

Posted on by

Kyllachy gelding Sole Power (Kyllachy – Demerger, by Distant View) looked set to register another unlucky run but a late surge landed the six-year-old his second Group 1 win in Tuesday’s King’s Stand Stakes (5f) at Royal Ascot.

 

Sole Power had competed in the past two editions of the King’s Stand Stakes for an eighth in 2011 and a third in last year’s race but the sprinter found himself well back in a big field at his third bid to win the feature.

 

However, jockey Johnny Murtagh eased him towards the stand side rail with 2-1/2 furlongs to run before Sole Power produced a brilliant sprint to overhaul the South African visitor Shea Shea (National Emblem – Yankee Clipper, by Jallad), winning narrowly.

 

Sole Power also won the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes (5f) in 2010 but his trainer Eddie Lynam told At The Races his stable star would compete in the top English and French sprints before a trip to Asia at the end of the year.

 

“He’s not always been lucky, but he’s always been good,” Lynam said. “He’s won a Palace House, a Temple and the Nunthorpe at 100-1. He’s one of the proper ones.

 

“I’m delighted for the horse and the whole family and he’ll now go for the July Cup. He’s a year older and he might well get the (six-furlong) trip now. Then he’ll go for the Nunthorpe, the Prix de l’Abbaye and across for the Hong Kong Sprint.

 

“We might give him a couple of weeks off after that, and get him ready to go back for Dubai.”

 

Sole Power is one of two Group 1 winners sired by Kyllachy (Pivotal – Pretty Poppy, by Song), who stands alongside his sire Pivotal at Cheveley Park Stud at Newmarket.

 

Kyllachy ran third in the 2002 King’s Stand Stakes when the event carried Group 2 status.

Arrowfield sire’s progeny almost ready to Rain winners

Posted on by

ARROWFIELD RELEASE – As a son of Encosta de Lago takes charge of the First Season Sires’ table, the first runners by his only Australian 2YO Group 1-winning colt are keenly awaited.

His name is Manhattan Rain, and his first crop juveniles will race next season from the stables of trainers such as Chris Waller, Hawkes Racing, Gerald Ryan, Gai Waterhouse, Mick Price, David Hayes, Paul Messara & Bjorn Baker.

Early feedback from breakers includes this assessment of the Manhattan Rain-Magic Fingers colt passed on by Chris Ward of Triple Crown Syndications: “A real athlete with the right attitude, keen to get into his work and he moved along really well.” From the precocious Easy Date family of Not A Single Doubt, Zizou and Snippets, this colt will be trained by Gerald Ryan.

Manhattan Rain fashioned a first-class Group 1 record in Sydney and Melbourne, beginning as a brilliant and resilient 2YO when he won the Sires’ Produce Stakes and placed in the Golden Slipper & Champagne Stakes. He then trained on at three to place in both the Caulfield Guineas (to Starspangledbanner) & the Cox Plate (to So You Think).

Manhattan Rain’s genetics are as desirable as his performance. He’s by a champion sire from a family that specialises in outstanding stallions, including his half-brother Redoute’s Choice (105 SW), Umatilla (33 SW), Spinning World (43 SW) and El Gran Senor (54 SW).

It’s also a family that has a proven affinity with Danehill, who does not appear in Manhattan Rain’s pedigree. That increases his appeal for breeders, because 22% of Australian broodmares covered in 2012 have Danehill somewhere in their pedigrees.

Arrowfield and Manhattan Rain’s owner-breeder Muzaffar Yaseen (Teeley Assets) have backed him strongly from the start, sending more than 80 mares to him in his first three years at stud, with 30 mares confirmed for his 2013 book.

The quality of the support that Arrowfield, Teeley Assets and other leading Australian breeders have given Manhattan Rain is evident in the list of older siblings to his rising 2YOs. They include Group 1 winners Absolutely, Cheeky Choice & Redoute’s Dancer; Group 2 winners Colorado Claire, My Emotion, Quays & Vormista; Group 3 winners Impressive Jeuney & Lunar Rise; and Listed stakeswinners Burgeis, Cabernet, Come Hither, Crack A Roadie, Excuse My French, Fun in Flight, Members Joy, Shamillion & Warpath.

Manhattan Rain stands at Arrowfield in 2013 at a fee of $27,500 inc. GST.

 

New partner for Magic Millions

Posted on by

Leading Australian thoroughbred sales company, Magic Millions, is delighted to announce Australia’s only licensed betting exchange, Betfair, as its Official Wagering Partner.

A leader in integrity, technology and innovation in wagering, Betfair becomes a major sponsor of Australia’s leading bloodstock sales company on the eve of the iconic Gold Coast Yearling Sale for 2013.

Giles Thompson, CEO of Betfair Australasia, said the association with Magic Millions is the first commercial sponsorship his organisation has embarked upon in Queensland racing and reflects Betfair’s support for racing’s two key stakeholders; punters and owners.

“As a proud supporter of thoroughbred racing at all levels, Betfair is thrilled to partner with Magic Millions as a major sponsor,” Thompson said.

“Our unique product offering has changed the face of wagering in Australia and we are here to stay. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with the nation’s most dynamic thoroughbred sale.

“Betfair is committed to the Australian racing industry and wants to continue to work with the industry to deliver a vibrant and competitive racing product to our customers.”

Magic Millions Managing Director Vin Cox said there was obvious synergy between the two brands.

“Betfair, like Magic Millions, is an industry leader and is committed to the growth of the industry into the future,” Cox said.

“Betfair boasts close to four million customers in over 55 countries and accordingly, is in a unique position to showcase the Magic Millions sales, and its many outstanding graduates, on global scale.”

Betfair’s sponsorship of Magic Millions is a nationwide arrangement, being launched on the Gold Coast and extending across sales in Adelaide, Perth and Launceston. Prospective buyers at each of these sales will be provided with exclusive access to Betfair’s unique owners’ club, further reinforcing Betfair’s support of racehorse ownership.

The new partnership between Magic Millions and Betfair will commence on January 1. The 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sales will commence on January 9.

Magic Millions release

Hussonet colt tops ‘patchy’ Magic Millions sale

Posted on by

A colt by internationally proven sire Hussonet topped the first session of the Magic Millions National Horses in Training Sale on the Gold Coast today.

Offered by Baramul Stud the colt who starred at Monday’s final breeze up session at the nearby Gold Coast Turf Club. Today he topped the sale to date when he sold for $170,000.

Magic Millions acted as agent for a Macau based client in snapping up the top seller after bids from around the complex.

The colt, catalogued as lot 132, is the fifth foal of the Flying Spur mare Flying Single – a three quarter sister to Sharp Aunty and half sister to leading sire Not a Single Doubt.

Four lots earlier Foster Racing’s Flying Pegasus colt from Fiorentina attracted strong interest when eventually selling for $125,000 to Magic Millions, acting as agent for a Singapore client.

The colt is from an unraced Dubai Destination half sister to Dubai World Cup winner Monterosso.

Two other youngsters sold for $120,000 – a More Than Ready colt from Robyn Wise as agent for Stratheden Stud and a Holy Roman Emperor colt from Kolora Lodge. Their purchasers were John O’Shea and Magus Equine respectively.

Magic Millions Managing Director Vin Cox said the market was “patchy” on the first day of the country’s premier breeze-up style auction.

“Two from every three horses were sold, which while disappointing is pretty standard for two-year-old sales the world over,” Cox said.

“The average is slightly up on the opening session last year which in itself is pleasing.”

“We feel the market was in the buyers corner today with some outstanding offers still to come,” Cox added.

The second session of the sale will be held tomorrow with the first lot from 11am (Qld time).

To view the results for the sale so far click here.

Magic Millions release

Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Treble

Posted on by

The Gai Waterhouse trained Whittington opened his race career in explosive style by winning the Listed ATC Breeders’ Plate at Randwick by three lengths.

The impressive son of Tale of the Cat was selected from the Patinack Farm draft at the 2012 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $145,000 by Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds. The colt has already returned his connections $60,000 with Saturday’s win in addition to priceless black type to his pedigree page.

Whittington is the first foal to race from Beautiful Crown mare Maha Chakri, a winner of the Listed Tasmanian Oaks, and is an exciting prospect heading towards the Sydney Autumn Carnival riches where he will be looking to join the honour roll of Golden Slipper winning Magic Millions graduates. A staggering eight of the last 10 Golden Slipper winners sold at auction have been sold by Magic Millions.

Joining Whittington in the winner’s circle were two graduates from the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale. In achieving a two-state metropolitan double, the graduates proved the enormous not-to-be-missed value opportunities on offer in the Adelaide Yearling Sale.

First to cross the line in Brisbane was the Peter Strong trained filly Pretty Strong. The daughter of Al Samer defeated her more fancied rivals when taking out the QTIS Two-Year-Old Fillies Handicap at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Astute Eagle Farm based trainer Peter Strong purchased Pretty Strong for just $3,500 from the draft of Emirates Park in Session 2 of this year’s Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale. Saturday’s first start victory resulted in a $32,000 windfall in prizemoney returned to Pretty Strong’s owners.

Completing the Magic Millions sold two-year-old treble on the weekend was Excites Zelady. The Excites gelding took out the Sportingbet Plate at Morphettville Parks and was purchased by trainer Chris Bieg at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale for $27,000 from the draft of Ampulla Lodge.

The 2013 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale is scheduled for 12 & 13 March. The sale follows the Adelaide Cup racemeeting on 11 March which features the running of the $100,000 Magic Millions Adelaide 2YO Classic (1200m).

The catalogue for the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale (9-17 January) will be released next month.

Magic Millions release

Big weekend for Magic Millions graduates

Posted on by

It was a long weekend to remember for graduates of Australia’s most winning thoroughbred sales company, Magic Millions.

At last count Magic Millions graduates won a staggering 117 races between Friday and Monday – including the majority of Australia’s big races won by horses offered at auction. During the same period graduates won stakes races in New Zealand and Hong Kong as well as races in South Africa, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia.

Pierro and Buffering kicked away the winning streak in stakes races when they swept the two feature races at Moonee Valley on Friday night. Australia’s champion juvenile of last season, Pierro extended his unbeaten streak to eight with a demolition of his rivals in the Group Two Bill Stutt Stakes.

He is now a hot favourite for the Group One Caulfield Guineas and firmed again as popular elect for the Cox Plate. A son of Lonhro, Pierro was sold by Magic Millions as both a weanling (for $115,000) and yearling ($230,000) on the Gold Coast. The win of Pierro was preceded a short time earlier by Queensland’s recently crowned Horse of the Year Buffering scoring a solid all the way win in the Group Two AJ Moir Stakes.

The Mossman gelding, a $22,000 QTIS Yearling Sale bargain buy, sent his earnings soaring past $1.96 million when he beat out fellow Gold Coast purchase Ready to Rip in a competitive finish. Gai Waterhouse’s winning run with Magic Millions graduates in stakes races continued in Sydney on Saturday when untapped filly Urban Groove won the listed Reginald Allen Handicap at Rosehill.

A $240,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase, Urban Groove took the massive step from a provincial maiden to carnival stakes class and did it easily – impressively good judges in the process. Graduates of Magic Millions won at every metropolitan track on Saturday – with other eye catching performances coming from the likes of Hoylonny, Cuddlesome, Bold Glance, Jet Style, Methuselah, Our Mimi, Grey Mustang, Ironbank, Petrenui, Hearts of Fire and Starlight Lady.

Magic Millions release

 

Black Caviar Australia’s champion again

Posted on by

Unbeaten mare Black Caviar has maintained her official status as the nation’s best equine with a back-to-back sweep of the 2012 Australian Racehorse of the Year Awards.

She was named both the Sky Racing World Australian Racehorse of the Year and InglisBloodstock Champion Sprinter for the second year running at a national awards ceremony in Melbourne.

Black Caviar, who stretched her unbeaten streak to 22 in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot in June, won all nine starts during the 2011-12 racing season including six at Group 1 level.

In a remarkable season, the five-year-old Peter Moody-trained mare also secured back-to-back wins in Australia’s two legs of the Global Sprint Challenge, the Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) and Coolmore

Lightning Stakes (1000m), as well as stretching her dominance to 1400m in the Orr Stakes at Caulfield.

With votes lodged on a 3-2-1 basis by 86 members of the racing media and senior racing administrators nationwide, Black Caviar secured 257 of a maximum 258 votes in the Racehorse of the Year Award to comfortably defeat More Joyous (70), Atlantic Jewel (65), Pierro and Manighar (33 apiece).

The mares’ dominance also helped Moody secure a second consecutive win in the Champion Group 1 Trainer Award, leading all-comers with 10 elite level victories on Australian soil.

It was the third-consecutive year that a Moody-trained mare has been named Australian Racehorse of the Year, after the recently ill-fated Typhoon Tracy was honoured in 2010, and the sixth time in eight years that a mare has claimed racing’s highest honour.

The night was also one to remember for premier Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse with stable stars More Joyous and Pierro dominating their respective award categories.

More Joyous was a runaway winner of the Monjon Australia Champion Middle Distance Award, while Pierro collected 256 of a maximum 258 votes to land the Eliza Park Champion Two-Year-Old title.

More Joyous, who amassed 221 votes to account for Black Caviar’s stablemate Manighar (141), won five feature races during the season, including the middle distance Group 1 treble of the Queen of the Turf, Doncaster Mile and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Pierro remained unbeaten throughout his juvenile season, collecting Sydney’s coveted Triple Crown, headlined by his win in the $3.5 million Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill in April.

With six Group 1 wins between the Waterhouse pair it was no surprise that their regular partner Nash Rawiller tonight collected the Champion Group 1 Jockey Award with a nation-high 11 wins.

And it was another unbeaten galloper who took the honours in the night’s most closely contested category, the New Zealand Bloodstock Champion Three-Year-Old Filly Award.

The Mark Kavanagh-trained Atlantic Jewel, who was successful in seven starts including two at Group 1 level, amassed 234 votes compared to Victorian rival Mosheen’s tally of 186.

Like Black Caviar, the recently retired Sepoy was recognised for a second year running. Last year’s Champion Two-Year-Old was tonight crowned the Michelton Champion Three-Year-Old Colt or Gelding.

The full list of award winners, including the voting breakdown for each category, is as follows;

Sky Racing World Australian Racehorse of the Year – BLACK CAVIAR

• Black Caviar (257 votes), More Joyous (70), Atlantic Jewel (65), Pierro (33), Manighar (33), Mosheen (17), Dunaden (16), Hay List (9), Ortensia (7), Sepoy (3), Brungle Cry (2), Black And Bent (2), Americain (1), King Mufhasa (1)

Eliza Park Champion Two-Year-Old – PIERRO

• Pierro (256), Samaready (154), All Too Hard (47), Sizzling (32), Snitzerland (21), Driefontein (4), No Looking Back (2)

New Zealand Bloodstock Champion Three-Year-Old Filly – ATLANTIC JEWEL

• Atlantic Jewel (234), Mosheen (186), Streama (52), Sea Siren (35), Invest (4), Pear Tart (3), Pop Culture (1), Quintessential (1)

Mitchelton Champion Three-Year-Old Colt or Gelding – SEPOY

• Sepoy (225), Helmet (88), Foxwedge (84), Manawanui (61), Ethiopia (25), Brambles (21), Sangster (6), Laser Hawk (5), Zabeelionaire (1)

Inglis Bloodstock Champion Sprinter – BLACK CAVIAR

• Black Caviar (258), Hay List (131), Ortensia (33), Sepoy (30), Atlantic Jewel (27), Buffering (13), Foxwedge (8), Sea Siren (7), Rain Affair (5), Mid Summer Music (3), Temple Of Boom (1)

Monjon Australia Champion Middle Distance Award – MORE JOYOUS

• More Joyous (221), Manighar (141), Atlantic Jewel (48), Mosheen (47), Pinker Pinker (35), King Mufhasa (11), Secret Admirer (5), Luckygray (3), Shoot Out (2), Streama (2), Metal Bender (1)

New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing Champion Stayer – DUNADEN

• Dunaden (228), Manighar (117), Americain (65), Southern Speed (62), Mosheen (25), Niwot (10), Drunken Sailor (3), Ethiopia (3), Lights Of Heaven (2), Brambles (1)

Staging Connections Champion Jumper – BASHBOY

• Bashboy (115), Black And Bent (64), Awakening Dream (29), Brungle Cry (28), Megapixel (22), Tobouggie Nights (8), Gotta Take Care (6), Dubhdara (1), Fareer (1), Kirribilli Gold (1), Zaman (1)

Stable Connect Champion Sire – Fastnet Rock

Champion Group 1 Trainer Award – Peter Moody

Champion Group 1 Jockey Award – Nash Rawiller

Racing Victoria release.

Up wins for Galileo in Irish Group 3

Posted on by

Galileo’s hardy daughter Up (Galileo – Halland Park Lass, by Spectrum) continued the stallion’s wonderful weekend with her decisive success in the Group 3 Lanwades Stud Fillies’ Stakes (9f) at the Curragh.

Up’s trainer Aidan O’Brien whisked the filly back to Ireland immediately after competing in the Grade 1 Beverley D. Stakes (1-1/4m) at Arlington last Saturday. However, the trans-Atlantic trip home and the quick back-up failed to prevent the three-year-old defeating six rivals in the Lanwades Stud Fillies’ Stakes.

Up settled second last for jockey Joseph O’Brien before tracking into the race from the three furlongs. The durable filly quickened too well for her opposition to post a comfortable 3-3/4 length win.

“She was in the US last week and got back on Monday,” Aidan O’Brien told Irish Racing.

“She is a hardy filly and got the trip well today. She has always promised to be nice but things just didn’t work out for her. She’ll run again in another fillies’ group race maybe the Matron Stakes.”

ARB announces new chief executive

Posted on by

Chairman of the Australian Racing Board (ARB), the Hon Michael Duffy, has today announced the appointment of Peter McGauran as CEO of the ARB.

This appointment follows the departure of Andrew Harding to The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Mr Duffy paid tribute to Andrew’s outstanding and long-standing service to the ARB and the racing industry more widely.

“Peter is well qualified for the position having been chief executive of Thoroughbred Breeders Australia for three years and as Director of Strategy, Marketing and Public Affairs at Racing NSW,” Mr Duffy said.

“Prior to that he served in public life for 25 years as the Federal Member for Gippsland with ten years as a Minister in various portfolios including Agriculture.”

Peter McGauran said he was very pleased to join the ARB, the industry’s peak national body: “Racing is part of Australia’s heritage and we need to harness the inherent goodwill and affection Australians feel for racing as we compete for the recreational and wagering dollar in the most competitive environment in racing’s history.

“The ARB plays a crucial role in bringing state and territory Principal Racing Authorities together to develop a uniform approach to common problems and issues,” Mr McGauran added.

Mr McGauran will commence at the ARB in mid-August.

Australian Racing Board release

Macedon Lodge pulls out of Magic Millions racehorse sale

Posted on by

Prospective buyers at Thursday’s Magic Millions National Racehorse Sale are advised that the draft of horses from the Williams family’s Hudson Conway stable has been withdrawn.

The 16 horses catalogued are still available for private sale and any queries should be directed to members of the bloodstock department of Magic Millions.

The sale, to follow a general session of yearlings on Thursday, still includes a quality line up of proven performers from vendors including Darley and Patinack Farm.

The National Yearling Sale, where inspections are now well underway, will commence at 11am tomorrow (Tuesday, June 5) and continue on Wednesday and Thursday.

To view the line up for the National Yearling Sale (including up to date withdrawals) click here.

Magic Millions release.